Comic Book Origins: Galactus

I realized last week none of my friends knew who Galactus was. I kid you not. So in the fear that there are more people in the world who are unaware of the planet devouring demigod that scours the marvel universe, I will now reveal the origin of one of the greatest super-villains.

Galactus was originally known as Galan (back before he devoured planets) and he lived on a planet known as Taa in a universe that existed before the big bang. This paradise like universe however began to be destroyed by a cataclysm known today as the big bang. In a heroic act to try and save his home-world, Galan flew into the event horizon of the big bang.

Galan then bonds with the sentience of the universe and hibernates for billions of years in the next universe (our universe). However he is soon reborn (by soon I mean billions of years later) as Galactus, an all powerful god like being. A watcher observes the birth of Galactus but doesn't take the opportunity to kill him (apparently he missed Uncle Ben's 'with great power' speech).

Galactus then feels an extreme hunger, a hunger so strong that he actually devours a nearby planet. You see Galactus has immense powers and is an extremely powerful being but here's the catch, he has to absorb the life energy of planets to fill his stomach. He originally feels guilty about this but later begins to feel he is Superior to all life in the universe and begins to devour worlds with no remorse.

But if he's so powerful he shouldn't have to look for worlds himself right? Well Galactus eventually selects a herald to scour the universe looking for planets he can consume. So who gets this job, none other than the Silver Surfer, who's world Galactus promises not to consume as long as he continues to serve him as his herald.

Quite a while later Silver Surfer happens to come across a planet you might have heard of, it's quite popular, it's called Earth. A watcher attempts to hide Earth from him but fails, so Galactus starts heading over to Earth. But when the big buy finally shows up he is defeated by the Fantastic Four, the watcher and his own herald, Silver Surfer. When the Fantastic Four threaten to use a device known as the ultimate nullifier to kill Galactus, he vows to leave and never return to Earth (a promise of course he doesn't quite keep). And what happens to the rebellious Silver Surfer you ask? Galactus punishes him by sentencing him to life... on Earth!

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The Galactus Trilogy  (Fantastic Four #48-50)
Reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four volume 5